Printing apparatus



March 20, 1934. MCLAUGHLIN PRINTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 20, 1934. M LAUGHLIN PRINTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledDec. 31, 1931 mu /720 Z Mazda/7M? N- M) m My Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application December 31, 1931, Serial No. 584,170

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a printing apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for printing in colors.

An object of the invention is to provide an effective and eflioient printing apparatus.

outlines.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an ink, such as disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 398,721, filed October 10, 1929, is used in an apparatus such as described in this application wherein the ink in different colors is applied to type plates by inking rolls which engage the type plates and are disengaged from primary inking rolls while in contact with the type plates to prevent scraping of the type plates against the rolls. The impressions from the type plates are superimposed on a transfer device from which the composite impression is printed on the work.

A complete understanding may be had by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention with parts broken away to show certain parts of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a dial adapted to be printed by the apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a base which comprises a bed plate 11, side walls 12 and 13, and a top plate 14. The side end and walls of the base extend above the top plate 14 and form a flange, as shown at 15, surrounding the upper face of the top plate and forming a runway for a carriage 16. Adjacent the wall 12 of the base and spaced therefrom is a plate or bearing standard 17 and adjacent the wall 13 and spaced therefrom is a plate or bearing standard 18. The carriage 16 has a cut-out portion 19 along either side into which tongues or guides 21 extend. These guides are extensions of brackets 22 secured to the plates 17 and 18. The left-hand end of the carriage is provided with a handle 23 for moving the carriage longitudinally on the base plate and in order to facilitate this movement and reduce the friction a plurality of stationary rollers 24 are provided, the upper faces of which extend slightly above the surface of top plate 14. Secured to the upper side of the carriage are three plates 25, 26 and 27. The plate 25 supports a work holding member 28 for receiving a dial 'or other device to be printed, the plate 26 supports a type plate having embossed numerals thereon which are usually printed on the dial in red and the plate 27 supports a type plate 31 having letters thereon which are usually printed in black on calling dials for telephone sets.

The standards 17 and 18 are provided with bearings 33 and 34, respectively. in which a shaft- 35 is journaled. This shaft carries a primary inking roll 36 for black ink which is usually made of metal. Above this inking roll are auxiliary ink supply rolls 40-40, which are in engagement with the primary inking roll 36.

A second primary inking roll 37 for red ink is similarly mounted on a shaft 39 journaled in bearings in plates 1'7 and 18 and has auxiliary inking rolls 38-38 in engagement therewith. Shaft 35 is provided with a pair of pulleys 41 and 42, and a belt 43 extends from pulley 41 to any suitable source of power (not shown). A second belt 44 extends from pulley 42 over a pulley 45 on shaft 39 of primary inking roll 37.

Underneath each of the primary inking rolls 36 and 37 are type plate inking rolls 46-46 and 47-47. Each of these rolls is mounted on a shaft having a collar 51 over each end, which extends through slots 52 in plates 17 and 18 to permit vertical movement of the type plate inking rolls upwardly into engagement with the primary inking rolls and downwardly into engagement with the embossed type plates. Each of the brackets 22, previously referred to, forms a guide for a vertically reciprocable bar 55 which has a lateral extension 56 carrying a roller 57. The rollers carried by the bars 55 extend under the lower 101 face of carriage 16. Secured to the bars 55 are pins 60 which project through slots 58 in plates 17 and 18. Pins 60 have two springs attached thereto. The inner springs 61 are connected to collars 51 of the type plate inking rolls and springs 62 are attached to pins 63 carried by plates 17 and 18. The springs 62 are of greater strength than springs 61 and due to the fact that the upper ends of bars 55 are in alignment with t e collars 51 on the ends of the type plate inking 55 downwardly against the tension of springs 62.

The springs 61 engage the type plate inking rolls resiliently with the type plates. In order to limit the downward movement of the type plate inking rolls, a plurality of adjustable plates 66 are provided along the lower edges of slots 52. These plates are retained against the bearing plates 17 and 18 by means of screws which extend through slots in the plate so that the position of the plates 66 may be adjusted to limit the downward movement of the type plate inking rolls.

It will be seen that as the carriage moves from left to right, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 3, it tends to pull down the inking rolls into engagement with the type plates; however, the inking rolls 47-47 associated with the primary inking roll 37 carry red ink, while the inking rolls 46-46 associated with the primary inking roll 36 carry black ink. In order to prevent the red inking rolls 47-47 from inking the black type plate 31 and have the inking rolls ink only those type plates which are adapted to print the color of ink carried by the roll, a pair of rails 67 are mounted along the side of the plate 27 which carries the black type plate 31. Referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the ends or hubs of rolls 46-46 are of such a small diameter that the hubs will not ride upon the rails 67 when the rails are under these rolls and the rolls are in engagement with type plate 31. The hubs of rolls 47, however, are

of a greater diameter, as shown at 68 in Fig. 2

so that when the type plate 31 is under the rolls 47-47, these rolls will be lifted slightly to prevent them from inking the black type plate 31.

The withdrawal of inking rolls 46-46 and 47-47 from the positively driven primary inking rolls 36 and 37 allows the inking rolls 46-46 and 47-47 to be frictionally rotated by the type plates so that there will be no relative movement between the peripheries of these rolls and the type plates. Any relative movement of the peripheries of these inking rolls relative to the type plates would cause scraping of the rolls and improper inking of the type plates.

Mounted upon the left-hand end of the base, as viewed in Fig. 1, is a vertical standard 72 having a vertically reciprocable plunger 73 supported thereon. This plunger may be moved upwardly and downwardly by means of a hand-wheel 74. Plunger 73 carries a plate .75 at its lower end to which a transfer pad 76 of resilient material, such as rubber, is attached. The plate has a plurality of downwardly extending pins 77which cooperate with apertures 78 in plates 25, 26 and 27 for aligning the transfer pad with the work holding base, type plate 29, or type plate 31.

In operating the apparatus, the carriage is moved to the right as far as it will go, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby applying red ink to the characters on type plate 29 and black ink to the characters on type plate 31 as described above. Handle 23 is then moved to bring .the carriage into such a position that the type plate 29 will be located under the transfer pad 76. Wheel 74 is then rotated bringing the transfer pad 76 into engagement with the type plate to transfer the impression of the characters from type plate 29 to the transfer pad; The transfer pad is then and 31 have been impressed upon the transfer pad, a blank dial, such as shown in Fig. 4, is placed on the work support 28 and the carriage is moved to its extreme right position, as viewed in Fig. 1. The transfer pad is then moved into engagement with the work to'impress the red and black ink characters of the transfer pad onto the dial. After the dials are printed with a ceramic ink, such as described in my above referred to copending application, the dials are placed in a furnace and the characters are permanently burned into the dial.

It has been found that the apparatus is well adapted for printing sharp outlines on smooth surfaces. This is due in part to the fact that an ink of proper tackiness and viscosity is used and to the proper inking of the type plates by allowing the inking rolls to roll freely on the surface of the type plates .to prevent an excessive amount of ink collecting on the type plates.

It has been found that when the apparatus is not being used for a considerable period, as, for instance, over night, the inking rolls should be spaced apart. The auxiliary inking rolls 38-38 and 40-46 are mounted in vertical slots so that they may be readily removed. In order to disengage the type plate inking rolls 46-46 and 47-47, a plurality of latches 79 are provided which may be hooked over pins 60 to disengage these rolls from the primary inking rolls.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention herein described and illustrated is merely a convenient form of the invention and many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and. scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing apparatus, a movable carriagesupporting an indicia plate and work holding meanspa primary inking roll, a secondary inking roll, means for resiliently urging said rolls into engagement, -a transfer pad mounted above said carriage, means for resiliently engaging the inking roll with the indicia plate when the carriage is moved to bring the indicia plate under the inking roll, said carriage being movable to selectively position the indicia plate or work holding means under the transfer pad, and means operable to engage the transfer pad with the indicia plate or work opening upon the position of the carriage.

2; In a printing apparatus, a movable support carrying a plurality of type plates each for receiving a different colored ink, inking rolls each carrying a different colored ink, means for causing each inking roll to ink a particular type plate upon movement of said support, a transfer device, means for superimposing the impressions from said type plates onto the transfer device, and means for accurately aligning the type plates with the transfer device.

3. In a printing apparatus, a movable support carrying a type plate, a primary inking roll engageable with said plate, a secondary inking roll, means for resiliently holding the primary and :econdary inking rolls in engagement, and means for resiliently engaging the primary inking roll with the type plate.

4. In a printing apparatus, a movable support carrying a type plate, a primary inking roll, a 15G secondary inking roll, a member engageable with the primary roll, resilient means for urging the member against the roll to yieldingly engage the primary and secondary inking rolls, and means responsive to the movement of said support for resiliently engaging the primary inking roll with the type plate.

5. In a printing apparatus, a movable support carrying a type plate, a primary inking roll, a secondary inking roll, a member engageable with the primary roll, a spring for yieldingly urging said member against the roll, a second spring for yieldingly urging the primary roll against the secondary roll through said member, and

means for moving said member in response to the movement of said support to resiliently move the primary roll into engagement with the type plate.

6. In a printing apparatus, a movable support carrying a type plate, a primary inking roll engageable with said plate, a secondary inking roll, means for resiliently urging said rolls into engagement, and means for resiliently engaging the primary roll with the type plate including a roller engaging the lower surface-o! the movable support.

LAWRENCE McLAUGHL-IN. 

